The Causes Of Math Anxiety In Everyday Life

I put a lot of effort into my classes, but math has never been the best subject for me. In order to learn the topic at the same pace as the class, I have to take a lot of extra time to process the work. Growing up, I have struggled with the challenge of test anxiety. Not all tests give me the stress, but the big tests do. I can study for hours and then when the test is in front of me everything goes blank. My test scores don't show what I can do academically, I am a hard worker and a very determined individual.

Formulas, factoring, derivatives: math topics make many people cringe and are viewed difficult to endure when learning these boring concepts. On the other hand,

Math is all around us. Everywhere you go there is some sort of math involved consciously or subconsciously. Even though math is all around us, and everything we do involves math, I myself must say I dislike math. Research has shown there are many more people that dislike math compared to those who do like it. A survey done by a nonprofit organization named Change the Equation asked 1,000 middle school kids in 2010 whether they would prefer to eat broccoli or do one math problem, surprisingly more than half answered they would eat broccoli. Throughout the years, there have been many different strategies created on how to introduce and/or teach math to children.

Mathematics anxiety has been studies for the past “50 years” (McMahon 2015), because it is a problem that affect many Americans. With all of the studies done, there is still much to be known about it and its effect on students. Mathematics anxiety has been defined by Vahedi and Farrokhi (2011) as “negative cognitions, avoidance behaviors, and feeling pressured and inadequate in performance that combined interfere with solving math

Based on the example of Juanita, there are strategies that could be used to help reduce her anxiety that she is experiencing due to having to take a math test. Test anxiety can negatively affect Juanita’s academic performance on the test so it is important for the counselor to be able to provide her with strategies that can help her to cope with the anxiety (Parsons, 2007). Different strategies to help Juanita could include teaching coping skills, study skills, and relaxation techniques (Capuzzi & Gross, 2014; Parsons, 2007). Also, to normalize the strategies the counselor can provide guidance lessons for all students using the same relaxation techniques and provide an overview for teachers and parents so that the same techniques could be used

I learned first and foremost is that the United States has more young high school graduates than any other nation and have a large population of those enrolling in post-secondary as well. I do believe that this is true because in order to succeed in the US we must have some sort of degree. Other nations teach a trade which is amazing because those are the ones who we contract to fix our homes and businesses. No, most do not have a degree but a certificate in their field of trade. Math anxiety is the feeling of nervousness towards Math and it’s problems during classes and or exams. It normally begins when we are a child and escalates throughout life. By the time we are adults and have not dealt with it, we feel dumb when approached with an issue involving possibly the simplest numbers. Due to this many of us stay within our comfort zone which is away from numbers as long as it’s in a form of a paycheck. Math anxiety is not just a problem in our heads, it can cause us to discontinue taking math classes beyond the requirements. This tends to limit our choices with regard to college or career opportunities. Because we've had a bad past experience we avoid Math at all cost, just like myself. Most people tend to leave school feeling like a failure due to Math. There were many words I came across in the reading which described me and those are:

While reading this journal entry my eyes were really opened up to the fact that putting the anxiety of being able to recall facts is extremely detrimental to our children.I thought this article was a good read though because it stated a lot of facts that were always backed up as well as proved up activities to improve from what the facts were telling us. An interesting point that I came across in this journal was that number sense is the foundation for all higher-level mathematics. (Feikes & Schwingendorf) Another fact that was interesting fact to me was that math anxiety has been recorded in students as young as 5years old. ( Ramirez, metal,2013). In my opinion I can understand why both of these fact are proven to be true. Like I said in my

The purpose of this research is to examine perceptions of student test anxiety in elementary school.

Banishing Math Anxiety article had some good examples on how to lower the anxiety that some one has. Being active in math, you can master the skill for solving any problem that comes your way. Use math when you are dealing with real life experiences and this will help you have a better understanding why math is important class to take. Take the time to explore your calculator they can do some many things it is a great tool to have.

I find it interesting that out of all the things that may determine failure or success, it comes down to hard work and attitude. I really enjoyed reading the math anxiety articles and they definitely shine light on some of my exact thoughts. I was once decent in math, but when you take a 12 year break, my teachers in high school would sum it up by the saying, "if you don't use it, you lose it." I can honestly say that I forgot almost all but the basics when it come to math. I definitely found myself doubting if taking this class was the right decision in the midst of adding more credits to graduate earlier, but after reading these article and I know I have what it takes if I stay focused and positive. I laughed when I read the myths and misconceptions

Math anxiety levels and performance outcomes were compared for bilingual and monolingual community college Intermediate Algebra students attending a culturally diverse urban commuter college. Participants (N = 618, 250 men, 368 women; 361 monolingual, 257 bilingual) completed the Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (AMAS) and a demographics instrument. Bilingual and monolingual students reported comparable mean AMAS scores (20.6 and 20.7, respectively) and comparable proportions of math anxious individuals (50% and 48%, respectively). Factor analysis of AMAS scores, using principal component analysis by varimax rotation, yielded

Anxiety is an unpleasant emotion experienced as dread, scare, alarm, fright, trepidation, worry, and uneasiness, which triggers mechanism for self-regulation strategies that facilitate performance (Schultz and Davis, 2000). Minimal amount of anxiety can mobilize human beings to respond rapidly and efficiently, but excessive amount of anxiety may foster poor response and sometimes inhibit response (Simpson et al., 1995). The quantity of anxiety experienced by the learner and the negative effects of it on their academic achievement are one of the major reasons for educators to be concerned about (Price 1991, and Clement 1997).

Math anxiety maybe unknown to many people and yet many more suffer from it. Math anxiety is defined as the feeling of tension and anxiety that interfere with the manipulation of numbers and the solving of mathematical problems in a wide variety of ordinary life and academic situations (Curtain-Phillips). Other studies suggest that math anxiety not only causes one to feel anxious in a mathematical situation but also causes a person to completely avoid a situation because of the ones insecurities of the subject ("Math anxiety,"). What can be done about it? What do I need to know? What is relevant? These feelings and tendencies all stem from somewhere, therefore knowing where it originates and what the facts are will ultimately help one to cope and in some cases prevent math anxiety.

Maths is ubiquitous in our lives, but depending on the learning received as a child it could inspire or frighten. If a child has a negative experience in mathematics, that experience has the ability to affect his/her attitude toward mathematics as an adult. Solso (2009) explains that math has the ability to confuse, frighten, and frustrate learners of all ages; Math also has the ability to inspire, encourage and achieve. Almost all daily activities include some form of mathematical procedure, whether people are aware of it or not. Possessing a solid learning foundation for math is vital to ensure a lifelong understanding of math. This essay will discuss why it is crucial to develop in children the ability to tackle problems with initiative and confidence (Anghileri, 2006, p. 2) and why mathematics has changed from careful rehearsal of standard procedures to a focus on mathematical thinking and communication to prepare them for the world of tomorrow (Anghileri).

Mathematics has always been a difficult subject for students. Many children have developed phobias and barriers towards mathematics, which prevail into adulthood, thus limiting their potential. This limitation implies problems of learning, resulting in the child a sense of inferiority.